Personal insignia for bags, pocketbooks, and the like



B, RoLFs 2,342,494 PERSONAL INSIGNIA FOR BAGS, POC'KETBOOKS, AND-THE LIKE Feb. 22, 1944.

Filed Dec. 13. 1941 Patented Feb. 22, 1944 f UNITED lPERSONAL INSIGNIA FOR BAGS,

POCKETBOOKS, AND THE LIKE v Baltus Rolfs, westena, Wis. Application December 13, 1941,`ser1a1 No. 422,826

(cl. llo- 142) 1 Claim.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an insignia plate for manufactured articles, such as billfolds, pocketbooks, luggage or the like, which plate can readily be inserted to the article at the retail dispensing point of said article. The insertion of the plate, which is arbitrarily selected, -being quickly effected by unskilled clerks in the trade, handling said articles.

For example, I am aware of the fact that metal initial letters, personal monograms or other ornamental insignia have been attached to articles by retailers of same, but said attachments, due to complicated means require the services of those skilled in the art, or. the employment of expensive tools for attaching such individual plates.

Furthermore, when such plateshave been attached, they present roughened surfaces or projections, which under usage would become sprung or disconnected from vtheir anchorage point. Hence, the specific object of my invention is to provide a window opening in the body of the article during its manufacture, which window opening at the point of 4retail disposition, is capable of receiving an insignia plate by inserting same in a hand operation, it being understood that the retailer is furnished with a quantity of such insignia plates from which the purchaser may select and thereafter the selected plate is in effect sprung into the window aperture and permanentlysecuredtherein.y It being understood that said aperture is provided with an ornamental edge or metallic binder frame, which is compressed about the edges of theaperture'to present a firm Aand flush surface with the body surface, whereby there is no liability of the insignia attaching means becoming sprung from its seat and at the same time the window aperture and associated plate will present a pleasing appearance.

A further object of my invention is to form the insignia plates preferably of spring Cellophane or plastic material and said plates may vary in color, whereby a ground color surface is the backing for a letter, monogram or other device indicating personality.

Furthermore, in some instances, to reduce cost to a minimum, l'. may dispense with the metallic frame piece and ornament the edges of the window opening with contrasting color or gold leaf.

It being understood that the major object is to provide a window in the article which will serve as a frame adapted to receive a thin flexible plate carrying arbitrary selected insignia.

With the above and other minor objects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as will be fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawing;

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a billfold embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed magnified face view of a body fragment equipped with my insignia-invention, parts being broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate structural features.

Figure 3 is a similar rear face View of the insignia.

Figure 4 is a detailed magnified cross sectional view illustrating one edge of the body window aperture fitted with a, metallic U shaped frame for the reception. of one edge of a flexible insignia plate sprung or flexed preparatory to being inserted within the frame mounting.` The section being indicated .by line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the insignia device, the Asection being indicated rby line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a cross section of same, the section being indicated by line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a rear face view of the window aperture illustrating another form of metallic` frame therefor. Y f f Figure 8 is a cross section of same, the section being indicated by liner 8-'-8 of Figure '7.'

Figure 9 illustrates a face View of another form of my invention,wherein the insignia plate may .be conveniently attached, and the" frame eliminated, parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate structural features. 1

Figure 10 is aA rear view of 4same with parts broken away Aand in section to more clearly illustrate structural features.

Figure 11 is a'lon'git'udinal sectional view of the same, the vsection being indicated by line Il-Il f of Figure 9.

Figure 12 illustrates a face View ofanother form of attaching means for the insignia, with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate structural features, wherein the window in the body is developed by longitudinal slits in said body at the marginal edges of the window.

Figure 13 is a rear fragmentary View of same with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate structural features.

Figure 14 is a cross section of the last mentioned form of my invention, the section being indicated by line l4-I4 of Figure 12.

Figure 15 illustrates a further modied form of my invention wherein the insignia plate is lapped over the edges of the window and confined by a thin adhesively secured back strap.

Figure 1S is a face view of another` form of my invention.

Referring by characters to the drawing, i in dicates a rectangular cut-out window aperture formed in a iieXible body 2 of any suitable material, such as leather or imitation thereof. rihe edges of the aperture have secured thereto a metallic U shaped frame 3, which is inserted in the aperture and permanently folded over the edges of same. As shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, the rear flanges 4 are mitered at their corners, whereby the frame may be inserted and thereafter folded over.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, at the base of the vertical flanges 4', slots 5 are formed which extend a predetermined distance in these stretches of the frame, and said slots are adapted to receive tongues 6 of an insignia plate 1, which insignia plate with the exception of the tongues, is cut to conform to the edges of the window.

Thus, it will be Seen that the pocketbook or other article of manufacture is delivered to the retailer with a window opening and means for receiving an insignia plate, and when the customer selects an insignia plate, owing to the fact that the plate is quite thin and flexible, it can simply be bowed slightly by the clerk and snapped into position to completely fill the window, and when so snapped, as best shown in Figure i of the drawing, the edge of the tongues 6 are alined with the locking slots 5, whereby the operation is complete. In some instances, however, the clerk may exert pressure upon the window frame iianges, whereby the same will imbed within the surface of the, body to thus present flush faces with said body. Bearing in mind that irrespective of the material from which the frame piate are made, it essentially',7 must be minimum thickness. Obviously the frame could. be compressed ilush with the outer surface of the body material prior to its retail distribution in which case the thin insignia plate could be forced into position between the metal ange and body material.

Referring to the modification, Figures 7 and 8 of the drawing, the metal frame 8 is formed with a single flange compressed into the outside face of the body material 2 about the window aperture l. The metal frame is formed with a plurality of ears 9, which are folded downwardly about the window aperture and also backwardly upon the inside surface of the body 2. In this instance the tongues 5, of the insignia plate 'i are imbedded between the frame and body material, the said tongues being of a length equaling the distance between pairs of the ears 9 whereby the thin insignia plate is held against shifting.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 illustrate another form of my invention wherein laterally disposed spaced straps l0 are depressed from the body material 2 in forming the angular window aperture and the insignia plate 1, in this exemplication of my invention, the window is stamped out with longitudinal end tongues il, in addition to the lateral tongues 6. Hence, the longitudinal tongues Il, pass through the offset straps I0 and interlock with the rear surface of the body material and the tongue 6, intermediate of the end tongue, also will lap over the inner surface of said body material, whereby interlocking of the parts is effected.

Figures 1,2, 13 and 14 of the drawing illustrate still another modification of my Iinvention, in which structure the window aperture is formed by cutting the side Walls of said window from the body material and depressing the entire cutaway portion to form an interlocking off-set wall I2, whereby a rectangular insignia plate is inserted in the window and the vertically disposed edges form anchor tongues B, which overlap the reverse faces of the body along the verical sides of said window aperture, it being understood that all types of the window, when not formed with a metal frame, are formed with a border of contrasting color.

Figure l5 of the drawing illustrates a further modified form of my invention, wherein the insignia plate is formed with edges over-lapping the edges of the window aperture and one or more backing strips I3 of adhesive material are secured to the rear face of the body material to maintain the plate in itsv proper position with relation to the window.

While I have shown and described simple exemplifications of my invention minutely as to detail, it is understood that I may vary the structural features with-in the scope of the claim.

I claim:

An insignia display device for articles formed from a flexible body, the body being provided with a window aperture, a frame surrounding the edges of the aperture, spaced ears extending from the frame through said apertures and folded backwardly for confining said frame, and a thin insignia plate extended Within the frame about the aperture having tongue portions extending between the frame and body of the material, the tongues being of suflicient width to engage the space between pairs of the ears,

whereby the insignia fplate is held against s hif' ing.

BAL'IUS ROLFS. 

